If you’re out on the baseball field, you want to be the best you can be. A sports game of any kind can be a high pressure situation. Competitiveness, anxiety, physical tiredness, and more are all fighting for your attention — attention you want to be focused on the game.
Learning the skills to play baseball and other sports is key to helping your team win. However, there’s more to winning a game than just knowing how to play. If you’re tired, distracted, or just not feeling yourself on game day, you can find yourself playing as if you’ve never picked up a ball.
Chances are, this has happened to you. There’s no need to be ashamed; everyone has off days on the baseball field. What you don’t want is for those off days to come at the wrong time. Fortunately, off days don’t just happen for no reason; while there are factors you can’t control, the following tips will help you perform your best on game day.
Stretch
Baseball doesn’t involve running for most of the game. When it does, however, you need to be ready — a game can be lost because of a muscle cramp at the wrong time. Fortunately, you can prevent cramping and help your muscles perform their best by stretching before you play.
Stretching warms up your muscles, allowing them to reach their full extension without hurting yourself. Many athletic injuries can be both prevented and healed by the right kinds of stretching. A stretch should last a full thirty seconds for your muscle to get the benefits. Take a few minutes before games and before practice to gently stretch and prepare your body for the physical performance of the game.
Sleep and Eat
Can you concentrate when you’re hungry and tired? If you’re like most people, chances are you’re not at your best if you slept three hours last night and had nothing to eat before the game. It can even be dangerous to your health to fail to eat or drink before a game. You can easily faint, lose focus and hurt yourself, or even end up in the hospital for dehydration.
Meals high in protein and carbohydrates are perfect before a game. Don’t worry about eating too much the night before– you’re going to be expending a lot of energy, and your body needs the reserves. Be sure to hydrate in the days leading up to the game as well as on the big day itself. Looking after your health in this way helps your body perform its best and prevents injuries.
Conclusion
To do your best before a baseball game, you have to be kind to your body. If you’re hungry, thirsty, tired, and wound tight, you’re likely to be unable to focus, and may get injured. Pay attention to your body’s needs and treat yourself well. You’ll be surprised how well you will perform.
